Supergirl's Kryptonite
by LovelyInspiration
Summary: "Why?" she whispered quietly. Then suddenly, a tormented shout erupted from within her. "Why!" Her fist flew forward, shattering the reflective glass. / She succumbed to a heap on the floor and finally let the tears flow. "Why? What's wrong with me? Why won't somebody tell me?"
1. Chapter 1

**Hello again Internet! For those of you now out of school (like me), happy winter break! I thought I'd celebrate the break by posting this Bree-centric, very emotional two-shot. It was supposed to be a one-shot, but I find it difficult to read 8,000-word stories in one sitting, so I decided to break it up to make it a more convenient read.**

 **This is my first T-rated story, so I will explain why I rated it that way. Supergirl's Kryptonite was given a T rating for safety reasons, because it does contain things that might be triggering to some readers. This includes negative self-thoughts, mentions of anorexic behavior, an emotional breakdown, and a harmful line of thought that I most definitely do not advocate. The rating is mostly for safety, though. This story shouldn't be considered dark, but it is very angst-y and emotional.**

 **A good song to accompany the first chapter would be "Scars to Your Beautiful" by Alessia Cara. For the second chapter, I recommend "A Little Too Much" by Shawn Mendes. They are both great (and clean) songs that I referred to as inspiration. How lovely, right? xD oh, me and my lame puns...**

 **Well, I think that that just about does it for the introduction. Enjoy the story!**

 **I don't own Lab Rats.**

* * *

Bree Davenport was a lot of things. The public knew her for her acts of bravery and swiftness as a bionic hero. Friends and schoolmates knew her as a confident, spunky, wise-cracking teenage girl. Her family recognized her for these things as well, but they also knew of her flaws. In times past, she had the tendency to forsake her superhuman duties for an opportunity to do regular things. It was no secret that she craved a normal life. Bree loved helping people, but the stress and responsibility were often too much to handle.

She also had obsessions with clothes, makeup, and things of the like. She had internal conflicts common of a teenager – the desire to stand out yet fit in, the decision about what type of person she was going to be. Bree may have been bionic, but she was still human. To top off the list, Bree was boy-crazy. She had a few imperfections, but who didn't?

Bree had a long list of admirable qualities, too. She carried herself in a respectable and honest way. Mission Creek High students knew that Bree was never one to stir-up drama by starting rumors, divulging secrets, or mocking anyone. She was trustworthy. People felt comfortable sharing personal things with Bree. She was a great confidant, and everyone knew that she wouldn't spread things around. Bree attracted friends at an unparalleled rate. There was just something about her warm disposition and charming personality that drew others to her. She was very much the "social butterfly" type.

In addition, Bree was no damsel in distress. She showed time and again that she could take care of herself. Such conviction was rare, and people seemed to respect that. After all, Bree saved lives practically for a living. No _protector_ ever needed _protecting_. She devoted tons of her time to helping the public, rescuing the innocent, and defending the civilians. The work that she – and her brothers – did was highly admired and commended.

Overall, everyone viewed Bree Davenport as a good person.

That is, except for Bree Davenport herself.

The one thing that people _didn't_ seem to know about Bree was her insecurities. Yes – Bree had insecurities. Not many would've believed that the supposed courageous and self-assured bionic superhuman looked down on herself. Bree never carried herself in a way that suggested low self-esteem. Her own family, her own _brothers_ didn't even notice. It wasn't their fault, though. Bree refused to let people see that side of her. It was her secret shame, a very embarrassing trait that she possessed. And what about Bree's life made her insecure?

Abandonment and betrayal.

She had been abandoned by many guys, all of whom had been crushes of hers. What with how boy-crazy Bree was, she didn't take too well to her ex-boyfriends (if they could've been called that) ditching her. The reason for all the betrayal was unknown, so she had no choice but to blame herself. Of course, that's skipping too far ahead. It wasn't that way in the beginning. Bree's self-doubt grew slowly in her heart over a long period.

* * *

It all started with Kavin. She was the new girl, and he was the cute boy that tried to help her assimilate to MCH. Being that she had no friends at the time, it was a relief to meet someone willing to talk to her – the fact that he was a cute guy making it even better. He had invited her to her first party, which turned out to be held in her own living room. All the same, she was excited about the prospect of experiencing normal life. Regular teenage girls got to hang out with the guys they liked, and it looked like she would, too.

However, Kavin stopped talking to her after the house party. He wasn't bitter that it ended early; he was bitter about his face. The doctors did, indeed, need to drain the fluid from his nose, and it cost his parents a ton in medical bills. They found it best if he stayed away from her, as did he. She was surprised by his sudden change in attitude. At first, he seemed fine with the swollen nose she accidentally gave him. The reality of a surgery apparently awakened him to the facts: Bree might've been pretty, but she _had_ hit him in the face with a ball.

Bree understood, and she didn't take his avoidance too harshly. She had just come in contact with the outside world, and she had to learn as she went. She didn't know what attracted or repelled guys. It was a case of trial and error. She and Kavin only spoke over the course of three days, anyway. It hurt, but she understood. She got over it.

Bree just made a mental note not to hit any other guy with a basketball.

* * *

Next was Ethan. Talk about a quick rebound. Bree met Ethan a couple weeks after Kavin. She was still the new girl, and he was the sweet guy that seemed to have chemistry with her. After all, it wasn't just a coincidence that they were lab partners. In the beginning, Bree didn't know if it was all in her head or if he requited her feelings. All was made clear when he finally asked her to the dance.

Even though she consistently made a fool of herself, Ethan seemed to like her. Fast forward a couple months and they had cute, math-related nicknames for each other. Leo claimed that they had "a weird little thing going", but Bree was totally smitten. She and Ethan did tons together.

So, imagine her surprise when Ethan called it off. He didn't even try to come up with a logical excuse. He just gave her the typical "it's not you; it's me" pity line. She was comforted with that until Leo told her it was a common saying which meant exactly the opposite: "it's not me; it's you." At that point, Bree broke down. She cried all day. Two days. Three days.

The thing that hurt the most was that she had no idea why Ethan dumped her. Things had been going so well – or at least she thought. Bree didn't want that to happen ever again. Break-ups were awful. There had to have been a reason for what he did. Bree still wasn't well acquainted with the outside world, so she didn't know who or what to blame for that situation. Eventually, she had to consider herself. Perhaps something about her _made_ Ethan leave.

Once that thought entered her mind, she started down a dangerous path. In the beginning, it seemed innocent and harmless. After all, what could've gone wrong?

Her first thought was about her personality. Did Ethan feel that she came on too strong? Not strong enough? Was she too confident; did she come off as cocky? Did she seem too insecure, perhaps clingy? She had acted like quite a dork on a number of occasions. Perhaps that was her first mistake. She couldn't allow such a naïve side of herself to show. That wide-eyed outlook on life and excitability must've been too much for other people. If that was the case, she needed to calm down.

From then on, Bree tried hard to make sure she came off as likeable and popular. If ever she found a guy she was interested in, Bree would adapt her personality to what _they_ liked.

Were they into funny girls? She'd crack tons of jokes.

Were they into perky girls? She'd make sure to put school pep rallies to shame.

Were they into good listeners? She'd keep quiet the whole time to focus on what he was saying.

Were they into talkative girls? She'd yammer all day long.

Were they into sensitive girls? She'd allow her emotions – whether real or… exaggerated – to show.

No matter what, Bree made sure her personality was appealing to all. It took a bit of effort, but she was only trying to accommodate people. Didn't everyone alter their personality just a little depending on which friend they were around?

Bree was just seeking to please. That was all. Nothing more, nothing less. It was fine – normal even. Totally normal.

* * *

After Ethan came Owen. It took Bree a bit longer to find him. Her first break-up didn't process well, and healing took time. When she met Owen, though, her time of healing had officially come to an end. She was no longer the new girl, and he was the tortured (not literally) artist. Bree was immediately attracted to his introspection and tendency to push the boundaries of societal norms. In his own way, Owen was edgy.

He was also very kind and smart and creative. Owen quickly became infatuated with Bree, dubbing her as his new muse. That was a deal-breaker for her. After all, what girl didn't want to be someone's muse? She enjoyed the admiration, and the attention was nice – dare she say: craved. Owen just seemed so evolved for a boy. He was deep. Bree had never met anyone that she could have such intelligent conversations with. Well, there was always Chase, but he was neither cute nor interesting.

Owen was also a great listener. He paid attention to her thoughts, opinions, and feelings. A lot of the time, he adopted her frustration and channeled it into a new piece of artwork. He then dedicated that piece to her, claiming that it represented her trials. She didn't always understand his philosophical ramblings, but that was his way of showing that he cared about her.

He often times sympathized with her negative feelings and made a comment along the lines of: 'I agree, Bree. I know exactly how you feel. If you ask me, it's all just societal oppression. People today are stifling the happiness of youth. Creative expression should be allowed to run free! You know what, I'm going to sketch my irritation.' _What a dreamboat, right?_

Then, it all came crashing down once again.

" _You'll always be my muse,"_ he had told her. _"It's just that… creative expression can be my only love right now."_

Owen couldn't balance a girlfriend and a career. She kind of understood. Bree did know a thing or two about balancing normal life with a huge responsibility. It gave her doubts, though – doubts about herself. This was the third crush in a row to bite the dust. She was no expert, but that didn't seem normal. Perhaps adjusting her personality wasn't enough.

And so, with that thought, Bree considered her physical appearance. She was pretty, wasn't she? Her family – and even past crushes – had told her so many times. Maybe she just wasn't pretty _enough_. What was unappealing? Her clothes? Her hair? She wasn't sure, but she didn't want to take any risks. She needed a stable relationship, and she was willing to try anything. This feeling of abandonment was not a nice one. It needed it to go away – promptly.

She then started the second major change.

Bree officially said goodbye to the colorful tops and rubber angle boots. No more graphic tees; no more neon colors; no more fun patterns. What had see been thinking, anyway? Bree was in high school, for crying out loud! She couldn't dress like a ten-year-old. No wonder Owen preferred his art. At least his paintings were less colorful than her clothing. It was embarrassing when she realized just how childish she had been dressing. Guys probably didn't take her seriously. This wouldn't, couldn't stand.

She decided to completely reinvent her wardrobe. No one even seemed to notice – or, if they did, they didn't see it as a problem. Teenage girls changed their style all the time. Bree was just playing around with some new things. It was fine. No big deal. Tasha had been elated to go shopping with her for some fresh outfits, anyway. That included several pairs of suede ankle boots, feminine tops, cute jackets, and a plethora of skinny jeans in different colors.

Once her new style was in place, Bree felt a lot better. These were outfits that were sure to up her mature-factor. Hopefully it would also help with her break-up problems.

She didn't stop there, though. Bree also opted to change her hair. She didn't know what exactly caused Owen to leave, but better safe than sorry. Besides, the more she looked at it, the more she realized how… _bland_ it was. Something different was definitely in order. She couldn't have expected boys to like her with hair so dull.

Unfortunately, Davenport refused to let her dye her hair blonde – or even do blonde highlights. They were, however, able to come to a compromise. Bree tried a darker, more defined shade of brown – much like a chocolate bar. She also decided to add in some extensions. Not many girls at MCH had short hair. Maybe Owen preferred girls with long hair and she never knew. It _was_ very popular lately. She needed to stay up-to-date on the trends.

Her family didn't say much about Bree's hair, either. Tasha assumed that Bree was finding ways to express her true self. After all, as Bree discovered more of the real world, she was bound to want to try new things. Who was Tasha to stop her from such a thing? The boys, on the other hand, simply didn't care to get involved in girly affairs.

It was nothing to fuss over, anyway. She just wanted to try something new. That was normal. Change was a part of life. She was embracing it. That was a good thing. It still seemed harmless.

Bree convinced herself that it _was_ harmless.

* * *

Then there came Jake Chambers… It was a long time after Owen that Bree found another guy worth dating. Plus, after their secret was revealed, no guy had the nerve to even approach her. When Jake did, Bree jumped at the opportunity to date again. She didn't know how long until the chance might return.

Jake Chambers was one of her shortest relationships. He really did seem like a nice guy. But, needless to say, there had been some bumps in the road. He tried to play it off cool – she could tell. After all was revealed about what had happened at the dance, it proved to be too much for him. He told her that he wasn't prepared to deal with the crazy life of a bionic girl. She understood. More times than not, Bree's own life was too much for her, as well.

And, to be fair, she didn't exactly make the best first impression. Bree would've broken up with herself, too, if she had unknowingly been dancing with Chase. _Ew._ She still wondered, though. She wondered if there was anything she could've done to change his mind – to make him stay. After all, if she was _really_ worth it, Jake would've stayed despite the accident at the dance.

But apparently, Bree wasn't worth it to him. She wasn't an amazing enough girl for Jake to overlook what turned out to be a rather comical mistake. She must've been lacking something. What was so horrible about her that he couldn't forgive and forget? She had already changed so much – her personality, her clothes, even her hair! There was still more? She still had an undesirable streak? What was it? Why would no one come out and tell her? Bree didn't want to go through _yet another_ unsuccessful relationship. Rejection was painful. She wanted people to stay. She needed for people to like her.

Perhaps, perhaps she wasn't… _in shape_. That was a bit of a stretch, especially considering how active she stayed. Missions were quite the workout. Still, it was the only option left that came to Bree's mind. It was just a precautionary measure – nothing wrong with that. She was just covering all the bases. Process of elimination – that was an efficient way to handle things. What other explanation was there, anyway?

She could've lost a couple pounds, she supposed. It wasn't a huge issue, but it never hurt to get extra fit – right? What was the problem with a little diet? She didn't have to keep it up forever. The effort was worth not losing another crush. Bree needed to be liked. She needed to do this.

It was so sneaky that her family didn't even really notice. She made sure of that. Something told her that Mr. Davenport and Tasha would think she was being too drastic. They wouldn't have understood, but this was important. Bree knew how to control herself.

Smaller portions. No going back for seconds – _ever._

No dessert. Only what she needed to survive: fruits, vegetables, the _bare_ essential amount of protein and dairy.

Drink water. Only ever water. Doctors recommended that, anyhow.

Perhaps three meals a day wasn't completely necessary.

Two meals a day. That was good. It wasn't too much; it wasn't too little. She just needed to eat enough to keep her family off her back. No need for suspicion.

Dinner was the meal that got cut. If she was nagged by her parental figures, Bree might nibble on the healthier options on her plate.

If that didn't work, she complained about being tired or stressed about homework. That always got her excused from the table.

See? Harmless. Maybe some days she only ate breakfast. It wasn't like that every day – just some days. The days when she felt a little extra weight loss was in order.

She ate, though. She never starved herself. It was alright. She did what she had to do. This was the key to being liked. Being liked was the key to not being abandoned.

Sometimes she did feel hungry. So what? She still ate – just not as much.

The human body could go three weeks without food. She ate every day, so, surely, she would be fine.

Besides, she got used to the feeling of hunger. It wasn't that bad. The quality of life wasn't taken away.

If anything, she was making herself _healthier_. Getting fit wasn't a bad thing. No harm, no foul.

What Bree didn't realize at the time was that there _would be_ harm.

She didn't see it, though. Her vision was narrow, set on making sure no one ever disliked her for any reason ever again. It didn't seem that serious. She lost weight; she accomplished a goal. So what if she didn't go back to eating normally? Bree wanted to make sure the pounds stayed off. It didn't make her feel any worse. Mostly.

So what if she tended to get dizzy? So what if she suffered from fatigue? So what if she happened to bruise easier? So what? She was trying to keep from being bruised emotionally. Her family didn't bother her, anyway. Even when they did notice her newly developed fragility, even when they did sense her lack of energy, even when they saw her dizzy spells, she convinced them everything was okay. After all, everything _was_ okay. Bree learned to hide her symptoms very well. In a matter of one week, no one noticed any unusual behavior. Of course, her weight loss was something she couldn't hide. Few noticed. When they did, she brushed it off.

It was fine. Everything was fine.

* * *

After the fifth boy, Bree was officially desperate.

This situation was different from all the others. It was deeper; it was more painful; it was more shocking. She tried to understand on her own. How did such a cute, charming, confident guy turn into such a creep? Did the connection that they had mean nothing to him? Bree couldn't figure it out. She needed help – his help.

That's why she was currently walking down an eerie hallway with a guard at her side. She saw many doors in passing. All of them were tightly shut with some sort of safety mechanism. Either the equipment and information on the other side was top secret, or there were people on the other side that shouldn't get out – dangerous people; people like the boy she was about to see.

When she first contemplated coming to visit him, Bree was very hesitant. Part of her felt that it would do no good, possibly even making things worse. She also wasn't confident in her ability to come face to face with him without breaking down. In the end, however, she felt there was no other choice. _Someone_ needed to help her understand. She wanted to know, not just why he did what he did, but also what about her wasn't good enough. She had already changed so much. Was she capable of doing anything more?

Finally, the guard stopped in front of a door. He took a keycard from his pocket and slid it against a keypad. After imputing an eight digit code, a green light flashed and the door unlocked. Bree took a deep breath to prepare herself as the guard let her inside.

"You have five minutes," he said curtly as she stepped into the small interrogation room. Bree nodded at the man before he closed the door behind her.

"You know," said a voice, turning Bree's attention to the center of the room, "When they told me I had a visitor, I hardly expected it to be you."

Bree looked straight ahead, beyond the dim light. There sat Sebastian Krane.


	2. Chapter 2

Sebastian was handcuffed to a table several feet in front of her. Plastered on his face was a lazy, disinterested smirk. He sensed how uncomfortable Bree was, and he liked that.

Bree gulped, so far unable to do anything but stare at her former student.

Sebastian sighed, shifting position in his metal chair. "Alright, Bree, what are you doing here? Was destroying my father and throwing me in jail somehow not enough for you? Did you come to rub it in my face?"

Bree tentatively went to sit across from him at the table. "N-no. I, uh, just wanted to see how you were doing."

The villainous teen threw her a bored look. "You actually expect me to believe that? I may not have my chip anymore, but I'm no idiot."

"It's true, though. I just felt like checking up on you."

"How exactly do you think I am, Bree? I'm in prison! What am I supposed to say? 'Oh, yea, solitary is great! I have tons of alone time for self-evaluation.'"

Bree sighed, casting her eyes down. "Fine. I didn't really come to check up on you…"

Sebastian faked a gasp. "I'm shocked!"

"Listen; I came to ask you something."

"Which would be?"

"Why did you do it?"

The boy furrowed his eyebrows. "What are you talking about?"

Bree looked back up at the person who caused her so much hurt and confusion and shock. "The rebellion. Why did you do that? Why did you betray us? Why did you betray _me?_ "

"You said ' _me_ ' like you're someone special."

Bree raised her eyebrows in surprise. _Did he really just say that?_ "Well, yea… I _thought_ you liked me. Before you went all psycho, we seemed to have a connection."

"That was before I found out the truth about you."

"Which was?"

"Hello?! You destroyed my father! How was I supposed to forgive that?"

"Sebastian, we've tried to tell you multiple times! Krane wasn't a father; he was a deranged madman! We did what we had to do for the sake of mankind."

"Clearly we don't see eye-to-eye, then. I believe in what my _father_ was trying to accomplish. If you reject him, you reject _me_."

"How come you didn't think about all the good things we did for you? You and your siblings would've been locked up by the government had Mr. Davenport not taken you under his wing. He saw the good in you."

"Don't lie to me! You never did us any good. We were being misled to believe that humans needed protection, but what they really need is to be put in their place. Bionics are far superior."

"So everything that we said and did means nothing? I really thought you liked me! I stood up for you on multiple occasions when you and Chase had arguments! I helped you train and get acquainted with the real world! We… we… we _clicked._ How could you possibly throw that all aside without any consideration?"

Sebastian clenched his jaw, looking away for a minute. His eyes returned to Bree in a hateful glare. "You weren't worth it."

The air was taken out of Bree's lungs. She suspected that that was the issue, but she didn't expect him to say it out loud. Or, perhaps she just didn't _want_ him to say it out loud. The truth hurt.

"What didn't I have, then?" she began in a quiet voice. "What was I missing? What was it, Sebastian? Tell me!" By the end, she was all but yelling.

Before Sebastian could respond, the guard reentered the room and stood in the doorway. "Your time is up, Miss Davenport."

"Wait, please, just give me a couple more minutes. I didn't get to ask Sebastian everything I wanted."

"No more time. Five minutes is all you get. You can leave of your own accord or by force. The choice is yours."

Bree sighed again. After a second more, she reluctantly stood from her chair. As the guard escorted her out, she threw one last glance over her shoulder at Sebastian. His characteristic unnerving smirk was the last thing she saw.

She walked back down the hall in contemplative silence – aside from the sound of the guard's heavy boots against the concrete floor. Sebastian's statement was the only thing on her mind.

" _You weren't worth it."_

* * *

Not much longer after Sebastian, the sixth boy came along. He was the most recent addition to Bree's list of crushes. So recent, in fact, that he had only ended things mere hours ago – if "ended" meant "turned out to be an evil android." They had just arrived back from the academy after rescuing Chase from the clutches of Douglas' evil ex-girlfriend. The shock of the situation had far from worn off. She was currently locked in the bathroom, trying to sort through her knotted emotions.

Bree promised herself after what happened with Sebastian that she wouldn't be so quick to fall for the first cute boy that walked into the room. _So much for that game-plan._ The minute Bree saw Troy, she melted. It was disgusting. Why'd she have to be so gullible, so desperate? This was serious. This crush could've come at the cost of her _baby brother's life_. Some sister she was…

Bree never should've let Troy get to her like he did. He was able to weasel his way to Chase's chip schematics all because of her. She had been _used_. And she had been used to try to _destroy her family_ , of all things! It was a terrible feeling. She managed to fall for a guy who sought to eliminate everything and everyone she cared about. He was a traitor, but she was too blinded by his looks to see that. As it turned out, she _was_ crazy, because the connection she felt was fake. No matter how cute, no guy was worth losing her family. She loathed how easily she developed crushes.

Bree couldn't help it, though. Betrayal was her worst nightmare. She did whatever she could to keep that from happening, including changing everything about herself. It still wasn't enough. Nothing ever seemed to be enough. Guys were always eager to leave her, but no one ever told her _why_ they left. Surely the lame excuses she got weren't the truth. It had to be her; what other logical reason was there?

She had been trying so hard for so many years. Every attempt Bree made to improve herself did nothing to help her ex-boyfriend count. It wasn't fair. She hated being deserted. It was embarrassing. She didn't intend to drive people away. It just happened. No one would tell her what she was doing wrong. All her guesses had been incorrect, and Bree was running out of options. Personality, clothes, hair, weight. She became so frantic for answers that she even went to Sebastian. He had incited a rebellion and almost killed Davenport! (Oh, and Perry, too…) How could she have gone to _him_?

She tried to conform to others' preferences, but it never worked. It wasn't all on her. If people refused to enlighten her about her own flaws, what could she do to fix them? Nothing. This had to end. Chase was put in serious danger today. Bree couldn't afford for that to happen again. Their family couldn't afford for that to happen again. Chase accepted her apology without hesitation, but Bree still blamed herself.

 _I am a horrible person._

Was she? Was Bree Davenport a horrible person? It didn't seem like it. She was a bionic hero, after all – selfless and brave.

 _You weren't always,_ came a different voice in her head. _Remember when you destroyed your chip and, consequently, the team? You weren't able to help people, then. You weren't even able to help your brothers. Remember how much danger they were in on that chemical plant mission? In the fire? That was because of_ you.

Bree let out a stifled cry, looking intently at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. That was true; she _had_ endangered her brothers' lives before. She took away the best thing that happened to her – the ability to help people. And, for what? Because she was only concerned about gaining a normal life for herself. That wasn't selfless or brave.

Ironically, she wanted to be normal to keep people from abandoning her – crushes included. Jake Chambers said it himself: _"You seem like a nice girl, Bree. I just can't handle your crazy life. I thought I could, but I'm not ready to leave normality."_ Bree had never had such a strong desire to be normal after Jake told her that. That's why she had destroyed her chip months earlier. If her crazy bionic life was driving guys away, Bree wanted to gain "normality". Her efforts were so extreme, however, that she inadvertently damaged the team.

So, her efforts to appear normal and make guys like her backfired and caused her to do something that could actually turn guys away _more._ Now that was irony.

There was also Neurotoxin incident. Bree had disregarded basic safety rules, brushed off an important mission, and endangered her brothers ( _again_ ). Plus, she put her _own_ health at risk. She exposed herself to a dangerous chemical and then refused to remain in her capsule. All three of her brothers were running wild trying to clean up her mess. The worst part was that she did it all so that she'd have an opportunity to spend time with Owen. Apparently, it was all for not, because he dumped her months later. The sting of rejection was bad enough, but on top of that, Bree had to own up to the fact that she chose a boy over her brothers – and it didn't even work out! That was a regret she carried to this very day.

So, Bree made mistakes. That's what happens when you're human. Bree was human – bionic, but human. Mistakes were bound to be made. She had done lots of admirable things, though. What of the successful missions that she assisted? What about the thousands of lives she saved? What about the time and effort she dedicated to helping people? After coming to her senses, all Bree thought about was becoming bionic again and rejoining the team. Did a couple mistakes from which she repented constitute her as a horrible person?

She was so confused. It just didn't make sense. Bree had spent her whole life going from crush to crush. Why was that? Why did every guy she liked turn out to be either a deserter or a traitor? She just wanted a straight answer. The treachery and neglect kept piling on, and she couldn't take it anymore. Her body was filled to the brim with self-doubt. It was so, _so_ hard to like herself when she knew something about her drove people away. She tried to be confident, but that hadn't been the reality in a very long time.

"Why?" Bree whispered quietly into the mirror. Then suddenly, a tormented shout erupted from within her. "Why?!"

Her fist flew forward, shattering the reflective glass. Shards flew everywhere, filling the sink and covering the tiled floor. Bree could've cared less. If she wasn't whole, the mirror didn't deserve to be whole, either. They could be broken together.

She succumbed to a heap on the floor and finally let the tears flow. "Why? What's wrong with me? Why won't somebody tell me?!"

Bree raised her knees to her chest and buried her head. After four years of pent up anguish, she finally let it out. The droplets of water warmed her skin as they slid down her pale face. Bree started to shake, but she was too upset to notice.

Only a few minutes later, authoritative knocking started on the bathroom door, effectively startling the troubled girl inside.

"Bree, is everything okay in there?!"

"Yea. We heard what sounded like something breaking and your scream. What's going on? Let us in!"

Scream? She screamed? Oh, perhaps she had. Bree had paid no mind to the volume of her breakdown. Technically, she could've done anything without her own knowledge. In any case, Bree chose to ignore her brothers.

"Bree, come on! It's just us: Adam and Chase. We only want to help."

Bree continued to drown out Chase's voice. She was in no mood for company.

"I'm serious, Bree! If you don't unlock this door in five seconds, I'm breaking it down!"

She made no movement. Adam bluffed all the time.

 _5…_ Bree remained still.

 _4…_ Everything just felt numb.

 _3…_ She sniffled.

 _2…_ The silent tears continued to fall. Their sodium content burned her eyes.

 _1…_ She was starting to develop a headache. Ibuprofen sounded great right now.

"Okay. Suit yourself." Suddenly, the bathroom door busted open, and Bree's siblings came tumbling in.

Bree's head jerked up with a start, her eyes growing wide. She quickly wiped the tears from her cheeks and backed up against the sink. "Wh-what are you guys doing in here?"

"Bree, what's going on? Why are you crying? Why is the mirror broken?" Chase rambled, gesturing to each item respectively.

She sniffled again. "I-I asked you first."

Adam and Chase shared a look. They carefully maneuvered around the glass to kneel next to their sister. Adam spoke this time, saying, "Why do you think we're here? We heard you scream and then what turned out to be the mirror breaking. We came to check on you."

"Now answer our questions," Chase continued.

Bree stared at her brothers concerned faces as her lower lip began to quiver. She couldn't take it anymore. In that moment, she snapped. A whole new round of tears began, and Bree collapsed against her brother's chests. She sobbed again, slowly growing hysterical. Adam and Chase were surprised, but they wasted no time in wrapping their arms around their sister. Her upper body rose and fell with difficult breaths as she burrowed into her brothers' strong embraces. Chase started rubbing her back, and Adam stroked her hair. They both waited patiently until she calmed down a bit.

"Bree, what's going on?" Adam choked out after a few minutes. "I hate seeing you like this." His attention was drawn to her hand, so he gently took it in his own and brushed away the remaining glass from Bree's knuckle. Adam wanted to say something about the little red scratches producing specks of blood, but he knew it wasn't the time.

"I-if I ask–asked you guys a question, you'd-you'd tell me the tr-uth, right?" Bree managed to get out between sobs.

"Of course." Chase nodded.

"Wh-what's wrong with me?"

Adam and Chase froze, glancing at each other before going back to Bree. They hardly knew what to say.

"What do you mean, Bree? Nothing's 'wrong with you.' You're amazing," Chase replied.

"Then, wh-why do people always l-leave me?"

"Who's left you?" Adam asked.

Bree pulled back from her brothers so she was looking them in their faces. "Nearly every boy that's entered my life! Kavin, Ethan, Owen, Jake, Sebastian, and now Troy! They either broke up with me or turned out to be evil traitors!"

"Bree, that has nothing to do with you."

"What other excuse is there?" she bellowed. "I have-have been trying for the past four years to find a stable relationship! It never works out, though! Six crushes – none of them lasting. I have tried _everything!_ I-I adapted my personality; I chose a new style; I changed my hair! I-I even cut back on _eating_ just to lose weight, because I-I thought that mi-might've been the pr-problem. B-but nothing has ch-changed!" She leaned forward again, resuming her position in Adam and Chase's arms.

"Wait… what did you say, Bree?" Chase questioned. "You stopped _eating_?!"

Bree's eyes widened, and she sat up to face her brothers once again. The look of dread on her face was the only answer Chase needed.

"So all that weird behavior – the dizziness, the bruising, the fatigue – _was_ actually an issue. We weren't imagining things, like you said. You _had_ lost all that weight…" Adam said, more to himself than to his sister.

Her brothers' broken looks tore at Bree's heart. Here she was again, causing them more pain. "Guys, I- Well, yes, but-"

"No! There are no 'buts', Bree. You withheld food from yourself. That's dangerous! How could you do that?" Adam stared at his sister with firm yet concerned eyes.

"I-I just couldn't take any more rejection. I didn't understand why so many people abandoned me, and I never wanted it to happen again. I was… I was desperate. Besides, it's not like I've been starving myself…"

"You can still develop an eating disorder or suffer from malnutrition! Bree, I don't care how many relationships failed. You should never do something so careless and-and self-destructive!" Chase scolded.

"Y-you're mad at me…" Bree mumbled. "I don't like that."

"We're 'mad' because we care, Bree," Adam joined in.

"I understand that you're hurt, Bree. We've all experienced betrayal before. It's _not your fault,_ though."

"How can you say that, Chase? There is ample evidence that all of that was my fault! Heck, I almost got you killed today! D-do you know how, how hard it was to see you like that? I mean, it wasn't actually you, but I thought it was!" Several cries escaped Bree's throat, and she began to tremble once again. She tried to fight the memories of today off, but they flocked her in a sudden frenzy.

Chase quickly took Bree back in his arms and let her cry. This time, Adam and Chase switched jobs so that the elder brother rubbed Bree's back and the younger brother stroked her hair.

Chase's own eyes became glossy and his voice shook, but he tried to stay strong for his sister. "That… was not your fault, Bree. I told you several times that all was forgiven. You made a mistake. We all make mistakes. I know you didn't mean any harm. Plus, look on the bright side." Chase gently lifted Bree's head until their eyes met. "I'm fine, Bree. Look – completely safe and sound. I had a bit of a scare, but no real damage was done."

"That still doesn't excuse what I did. Besides, this wasn't the, the first offense."

"Oh, come on, Bree," Adam interjected. "What else could you have done?"

"What else?! Does the time I destroyed my chip ring a bell? I put you guys in serious danger when you had to put out that fire without me. And what about the Neurotoxin incident? I chose _Owen_ over you guys!"

"Bree, like Chase said, we all make mistakes. That doesn't mean you're a bad person! You were there right alongside us on every mission – minus _two_ – and were just as brave as us. We love you!"

"Yea? Well, if I'm so wonderful, _tell me_ why people are always so quick to leave! Don't you get it? I _hate_ that feeling! If there's something wrong with me, I need to know! Because the next person to walk out of my life might not be a crush. It might be someone way more valuable to me – like you guys!"

As those words left Bree's mouth, they cast a grim mood inside the bathroom. Adam and Chase sat there in stunned silence. For several minutes, nothing but a dense quiet and the still bodies of three siblings filled that room. The brothers looked away in deep thought.

"That's what this is about?" Chase finally mumbled.

Bree nodded slowly, solemnly. "I-I could really care less about a bunch of dumb boys. But… you and Adam aren't 'a bunch of dumb boys.' You're _two_ dumb boys who happen to be my brothers. I care about my brothers, and I don't want you two – or anyone else important to me – to reject me. That would be too much."

"What did I say earlier, Bree? We love you, too. Do you think that Chase and I would be here right now if we didn't care about you so much?"

Before Bree had a chance to answer, Chase spoke again. "Those guys were jerks and/or idiots, Bree. If they couldn't see how amazing you are, that's on _them._ You're not a bad person; you're funny, brave, spunky, trustworthy. We love you, Mr. Davenport loves you, Tasha loves you, Leo loves you, and the whole student body loves you."

"Don't go changing everything about yourself just to please others – _especially_ when there was nothing wrong with you to begin with. You need to be yourself, Bree. Do you know why?" Adam asked.

Bree shook her head.

"Because that's when you're the happiest. Those that really love you are going to accept you for _you_. I mean, you guys put up with me even though I tend to be immature, because that's just who I am. Anyone who asks you to change in order to please them isn't worth it."

Bree stayed quiet for awhile, simply staring at her brothers. She had gone searching for answers everywhere – everywhere _but_ where she was supposed to be looking. Bree completely neglected that she had two amazing guys here the whole time. They were the ones she should've been talking to, because they were the people who truly cared about her. Despite her flaws, they stuck by her. She wasn't going to be abandoned. They were always right here – and they always would be.

"I appreciate you guys saying all that. I really do. But… what if _I_ didn't like who I was?"

"Do you not like who you are?" Chase asked gently.

She thought for a second. "I-I don't know. I just… can't help but feel, like, sick when I think about myself. I can't seem to, to look at myself in a positive light, anymore…"

"Well, Bree, we all have things about ourselves that we wish were different."

"I wish I were smarter."

"And I wish I were stronger. That doesn't make you love us any less, though – right?"

Bree scoffed. "Who said I loved you guys?" Adam and Chase gave her knowing looks. She sighed. " _Fine_. I admit it. No – it doesn't make me love you any less."

"It's the same with us, Bree. You may have insecurities, but we still love you. Everyone has a weakness, and I guess you finally found yours."

"Does it ever go away?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. If it does, I'm pretty sure it'll take time," Adam replied.

"One thing is for sure: we need this self-destructive behavior to stop. Okay, Bree?" Chase said.

She took a deep breath. "Wh-what if I can't stop – even if I wanted to?"

"You can, and you will. We'll make sure of it," Adam replied confidently.

Bree smiled – her first genuine smile in years. "When did you two become so wise?"

"Hello? Super intelligence!" Chase cockily pointed to his head.

Adam shrugged. "Call it the older brother in me. I guess I kind of mature when the subject is serious enough. I mean, it had to happen sooner or later."

"Well, thanks. You two are the best guys a girl could ask for." Bree leaned in for a final hug, and her brothers were quick to reciprocate.

So began the healing process of Bree Davenport. She was many things to many people. The public knew her for her acts of bravery and swiftness as a bionic hero. Friends and schoolmates knew her as a confident, spunky, wise-cracking teenage girl. Her family recognized her for these things as well, but they also knew of her flaws. As it turned out, her flaws went deeper than a couple reckless mistakes.

No one would've guessed that she could develop such a thing as low self-esteem. That was something that couldn't be fixed with a pep-talk and a few hugs. It took time to mend. Fortunately, she had loving family to help. They were going to get her through this. Bree's life, duties, and loved ones were much too important for her to give up. She wouldn't let this get in her way. In time, things would get better.

It would be okay. _She_ would be okay. After all, superheroes never resigned to their weaknesses.

* * *

 **This story wasn't meant to be a "raising awareness" sort of thing. To be honest, I don't even remember where this idea came from. However, this is still a good opportunity to say something supportive about a serious topic: Don't change for others; Share your fears with people who truly care about you; Never turn to drastic actions that could harm yourself;** **Find beauty in yourself and in the unique person that you are.**

 **So, that said, I hope you liked the story. Reviews are welcomed, although not necessary. I spent a lot of time editing this, so I hope the finished product was worth it. I'm quite of it proud, myself.**

 **Thanks for reading, and I hope to speak with you all again soon! Also, happy first day of 2017!**


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